Flawed Theory
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Soulmate!AU. Tom doesn't want to age, therefore he must remove any potential soulmates before he can meet them. Harry Potter, however, isn't so easy to get rid of. Warning, Character Death and Murder.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.**

 **Challenges at the bottom.**

 **Soulmate!AU**

 **Word Count** \- 807

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 **Flawed Theory**

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Tom combed his hair carefully into place, checking his appearance in the mirror. He knew he was handsome, he only had to glance around him at the adoring faces whenever he was around other people, and he enjoyed such attention.

People _should_ admire and covet him.

Of course, it helped that despite the fifty four years he'd lived, he still looked twenty one. The beauty of soulmates, he supposed, though of course he'd never allowed a potential soulmate of his anywhere near him.

He watched out for them scrupulously, had them murdered before they could get close enough to start of the aging process that would ruin Tom's dreams for immortality.

He didn't have time for aging when there were so many things he wanted to do, to conquer in his life. Besides, holding the city of London in his grip took strength and passion. He would never keep his hold on the city if he was weak with old age.

He'd sent out a hit on his last potential mate, James Potter. He knew his next would be arriving soon, these things happened in cycles, and it had been some time since that particular hit. Tom knew, he kept immaculate records on these things, so as not to be caught out.

Seating himself at his desk, he pulled a stack of paper towards him. Who knew there was so much paperwork in being a mob boss?

"My Lord?"

Tom looked up from his desk, raising his eyebrow at his right hand man, Lucius Malfoy.

"The Lady Trelawney has news of your newest potential. I thought you'd want to know sooner than later."

Tom nodded, throwing his pen down onto the white stack on his desk. "Lead the way, Lucius."

…

"Harry Potter, James Potter's son. What are the odds that my newest potential would be the son of the last?" Tom mused, looking at the photograph.

"Perhaps there is something in the family line that matches you particularly well, My Lord?" Lucius suggested. "I'll have Rabastan and Rodolphus despatched immediately to… take care of the problem."

Tom nodded, distractedly. He was still staring at the photograph. There was something about the young man that intrigued Tom, beyond the usual passing interest in his potentials. He thought perhaps it was the eyes.

He'd never seen eyes quite so green.

…

"Clearly you're all useless," Tom snapped. "There are strategies in place to deal with these things, and yet, Harry Potter has slipped you no less the four times in the last _month!"_

"My Lord, he is slippery, and surprisingly good at self defence," Rodolphus defended quietly. "We'll need to use a little more imagination for Harry Potter."

"When you find him, you mean, since you've _lost all trace of him."_

Lucius rolled his eyes. "What self defence can possibly be used against a bullet to the head?" he asked Rodolphus, his smirk malicious.

"For that bullet to make contact, you have to actually be able to catch the person," Rabastan grimaced. "He is ghostlike in his ability to escape. It is _maddening."_

"Perhaps, he thinks that if the almighty Tom Riddle wants him dead, he should be man enough to pull the trigger himself?"

Tom spun around to see a man behind them, pulling a hood from his head to reveal messy black hair and bright green eyes.

As soon as their eyes met, Tom felt the spark, and he saw the instant that Harry Potter felt it too. He was oddly proud that the almost missable blink from the man was his only reaction.

"It would appear, that it is now a moot point," Tom purred, strolling forward. "Since I wanted you dead before I could meet you."

Harry stared at him for a long moment before he chuckled. "Did you really believe you could be immortal if only you didn't make a connection with someone?"

Tom blinked. "Yes."

Harry nodded. "It's an interesting theory, I suppose. Of course, if someone was to put a bullet through your head, you would still die even if you hadn't met a soulmate, so I believe your reasoning is flawed."

"Nobody would dare to make an attempt on my life," Tom snapped.

Looking thoughtful, Harry took a gun from his belt and aimed it steadily at Tom's chest. "Is that so?"

"Yes. That is so. Enough posturing," Tom replied shortly. "Even should you attempt to kill me, there are enough guns in this room that you would never even get to lower the gun."

"You killed my father, because he was a _potential,"_ Harry snarled. "You made multiple attempts on my life for the same reason. And there is one major difference between you and I, Tom Riddle."

"Oh? Pray tell."

"I'm not afraid of death," Harry whispered.

A bang echoed around the room and the smell of gunpowder permeated.

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 **Written for;**

Romance Awareness, Day 3 - You stop aging at a certain age, until you meet your soulmate and grow old together.

Auction - White

Character Appreciation - 7. Strategy

Showtime - 9. Imagination

Buttons - W5. Malicious


End file.
